Japan professor elected to U.N. panel on discrimination against women

NEW YORK - Hiroko Akizuki, a professor of international law at Asia University, was overwhelmingly endorsed Thursday to become one of 23 experts on the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women from next January.

“I would like to work to help prevent sexual violence in conflict that inflicts pain for a long time on women who have fallen victim,” Akizuki said after being elected for a four-year term.

The committee, known as CEDAW, held elections to replace 12 outgoing members, including Japan’s Yoko Hayashi, whose term ends on Dec. 31.

The group of independent experts on women’s rights monitors the implementation of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women.

Akizuki said that both men and women in Japan continue to be slow to embrace the #MeToo movement. She also called for a quota system to raise the ratio of female lawmakers.